Partnership Case Study
GEMS Dubai American Academy: Study 3
With climate change shaping the future of every learner, students at GEMS Dubai American Academy were challenged to imagine what a truly sustainable home could be. What began as a classroom conversation about extreme weather and resource scarcity grew into a sophisticated design challenge, where students combined creativity, research, and engineering thinking to reimagine how communities might live in the decades ahead.
Our PARTNER
GEMS Dubai American Academy
SETTING
IB High School
Dubai, UAE
ENGAGEMENT
Multi-year partnership
FOCUS AREAS
Whole-staff implementation of the Culture of Excellence Program
From Passive Recipients to Innovators: How Learners Built Sustainable Solutions With Clarity and Purpose.
Case Summary
Learners explored global climate challenges, researched sustainable design principles, and developed future-ready home concepts tailored to specific environmental needs. They built models, created visual and written explanations, and shared their solutions with peers. The project strengthened critical thinking, design literacy, and environmental awareness while fostering a forward-looking sense of responsibility.
The Culture of Excellence process helped strengthen what already makes our school great.
98%
The frameworks provided clear, practical structures that support my everyday teaching.
100%
Our team now shares a more consistent language and approach to improving learning.
98%
Professional learning and conversations increased my connection to our collective vision.
100%
Overall, this has been a positive and valuable experience for our school community.
100%
(Percentages reflect staff who agreed or strongly agreed.)
In Their Words
-
“My students showed a level of ownership I’ve never seen before—every step of the process mattered to them.”
-
“The clarity of the frameworks made it easy to shift from directing learning to facilitating it.”
-
“What surprised me most was the depth of thinking our students displayed once they had real purpose.”
-
“The Culture of Excellence work helped us create learning that felt meaningful, connected, and genuinely exciting.”
John Doe
Combo Interactive -
“Students stayed engaged because the learning belonged to them. That shift alone changed the whole energy of our classrooms.”
John Doe
Combo Interactive
“What stands out across every project is how deeply our students engage when learning is authentic and purposeful. The Culture of Excellence work has strengthened our shared language, lifted teacher confidence, and given our students a sense of agency that will shape their future. It has been transformative for our school community.”
Tammy Murphy, Principal, GEMS Dubai American Academy